Apparatus for dividing a continuous stream of articles into batches which may be placed in containers

ABSTRACT

The leading end portion of a stream of cigarettes being fed horizontally by a continuous conveyor, formed of a plurality of slats, is separated from the stream by divider plates carried at intervals along the conveyor, the divider plates being arranged to slide through slots in the associated slats. The divider plates are arranged to be moved along a first fixed track in a lower plane, a second fixed track in an upper plane and a movable track capable of being moved between the fixed tracks by a cam and parallelogram linkage. The divider plates are clear of the stream of cigarettes whilst moving along the first track and are progressively moved vertically through the stream of cigarettes whilst moving along the movable track as the latter is moved from the lower to the upper plane.

Unite States atet 1 1 Garton 1 1 Dec. 3, 1974 APPARATUS FOR DIVlIDING A 3,319,765 5/1967 Hasenwinkle et al 198/34 CONTINUOUS STREAM 01 ARTICLES 3,366,222 1/1968 Rowekamp 198/34 INTO BATCHES WHICH MAY BE PLACED IN CONTAINERS Inventor: William Robert Garton, London,

England Assignee: Molins Limited, London, England Filed: July 18, 1973 Appl. No: 380,243

Foreign Application Priority Data July 21, 1972 Great Britain 34124/72 us. c1. 198/34 rm. (:1. 365g 47/26 Field of Search 198/34, 42; 209/73 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1965 -Dardaine 198/34 2/1966 Brigham et al. 198/34 Attorney, Agent, or FirmCraig & Antonelli 5 7 ABSTRACT The leading end portion of a stream of cigarettes being fed horizontally by a continuous conveyor, formed of a plurality of slats, is separated from the stream by divider plates carried at intervals along the conveyor, the divider plates being arranged to slide through slots in the associated slats. The divider plates are arranged to be moved along a first fixed track in a lower plane, a second fixed track in an upper plane and a movable track capable of being moved between the fixed tracks by a cam and parallelogram linkage. The divider plates are clear of the stream of cigarettes whilst moving along the first track and are progressively moved vertically through the stream of cigarettes whilst moving along the movable track as the latter is moved from the lower to the upper plane.

20 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 2 PATENIELUEE 31914 I4 I wk 1 APPARATUS FOR DIVIDING A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF ARTICLES INTO BATCIIES WHICH MAY BE PLACED IN CONTAINERS stream of articles from said stream comprising means to feed said stream of articles along a defined path; separating means associated with said feed means, a first fixed track in a first plane, a second fixed track in a second plane, and a movable track capable of movement from said first plane to said second plane, said separating means being movable along said tracks and said tracks being so positioned that said separating means is clear of said stream while it is moving along said first track and is projected through said stream while it is moving along said movable track during movement of the latter from said first to said second plane.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, byway of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of apparatus for dividing a stream of cigarettes into batches, and, 7

FIG. 2 is a sectionon the line Il-ll of FIG. 1 drawn to a larger scale. 7

An endless conveyor 170 consists of a pair of chains 171 which support a plurality of slats 172 which together form a surface for carrying'a stream of cigarettes 173. The conveyor is provided with divider plates 174 which can be projected through the conveyor 170 to divide a stream of cigarettes 173 into batches. The chains 171 extend between pairs of sprockets 184, 185 (only one of each pair being visible in the drawings) which are fixed to shafts 186, 187 respectively. Each divider plate 174 is provided at one end (the end which does not enter the stream of cigarettes 173) with a pair of rollers 175 which run along fixed lower guide rails 176, upper fixed guide rails 178, and two pairs of movable guide rails 180, 181 (only one of each of the movable guide rails being visible in the drawings).

The other movable guide rails 180 are mounted in a similar manner to that of the guide rails 181 so will not be described in detail. The rails 180 are-moved up and down on a parallelogram linkage by a cam 196, fixed to a shaft 197, and which engages a cam follower 198. The cam is rotated by a chain 199 which extends between sprockets fixed to the shafts 197 and 187.

In operation, the stream 173 is fed on to the conveyor 172 which carries it to the left, as seen in FlG. 1. As the conveyor 172 carries the stream along the cam followers 175 run along the lower fixed guide rail 176. The arrangement is such that as a pair of cam followers reach the end of the guide rails 176, the movable guide rails 180 will be in the position shown in chain-dot lines in FIG. 1, in line with the end of guide rail 176. By this time the divider plate attached to the cam followers is moving along beneath the stream 173. The cam followers enter the movable rails 180 which are then raised, by rotation of cam 196, until they are in line with the upper guide rails 178 as shown in full lines in FIG. 1. Whilst the movable rails 180 are being lifted the divider plate will be projected up through the slot in the associated slat 172a and progressively through the stream of cigarettes 173. When the movable rails reach their top position the cam followers run into the upper guide rails 178. The succeeding operations of the apparatus, which form no part of the present invention, concerned with filling containers with cigarettes, maybe the same as described in the above mentioned co-pending application. After a batch of cigarettes has been removed from between a successive pair of divider plates 174,

the leading plate 174 of a pair (considered in the direction of movement of the conveyor 172) is lowered below the level of the conveyor 172 by its corresponding c-am follower 175 running into the movable guide rail 181 which is lowered under the. control of cam 192 until it is in line with the lower fixed guide rail 176.

The slats 172 are fixed to the chains 171 and are plain; special slats 1720 are provided at positions where a divider plate 174 is fitted, each slat 1720 being provided with a slot through which the corresponding plate 174 can pass. I v

The movable guide rails 181 are fixed to a bracket 188, which is supported on each side by a pair of arms 189 which are at one end pivotally connected thereto at 190. The other ends of the arms 189 are pivotally connected to a block 191 attached to a fixed part of the machine. The bracket 188, arms 189 and block 191 form a parallelogram linkage which enables the movable guide rails 181 to be moved upand down, between the guide rails 176, 178, without having their attitude changed. by means of a cam 192, fixed to a shaft 193, and which engages a cam follower 194 mounted on one of the arms 189.. A spring (not shown) keeps the follower 194 in contact with the cam 192. The cam is rotated by a chain 195 which extends between sprockets fixed to the shafts 186 and 193.

I claim: 7

1. Apparatus for separating a leading end portion of a stream of articles from said stream comprising means to feed said stream of articles along a defined path,'separating means associated with said feed means, a first fixed track in a first plane, a second fixed track in a second plane, a movable track, means for effecting reciprocal movement of said movable track fromsaid first plane to said second plane, and means for moving said separating means along said tracks, said tracks being positionedwith said second fixed track closer to said defined path than said first fixed track so that said separating means is clear'of said stream while it is moving along said first fixed track and is projected through said stream while it is moving along said movable track during movement of the latter from said first to said second plane, said separating means when moving between said first and second tracks having a first component of movement due to its motion along said movable track and a second component of movement due to movement of said movabletrack between said first and second planes. I

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for feeding the stream is arranged to feed the ar-- less conveyor consists of a pair of chains which support a plurality of slats which together, along part of said endless conveyor. form a flat surface on which said stream of articles is supported.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which said separating means comprises divider plates associated with said endless conveyor.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which said divider plates are arranged to be retracted below said conveyor and projected above said conveyor at different times.

7. Apparatus for separating a leading end portion of a stream of articles from said stream comprising an endless conveyor to feed said stream of articles along a defined path in a direction transverse to their length, said endless conveyor consisting of a pair of chains which support a plurality of slats which together, along part of said endless conveyor, form a flat surface on which said stream of articles is supported, separating means associated with said endless conveyor, a first fixed track in a first plane, a second fixed track in a second plane, and a movable track capable of movement from said first plane to said second plane, said separating means being movable along said tracks and said tracks being so positioned that said separating means is clear of said stream while it is moving along said first fixed track and is projected through said stream while it is moving along said movable track during movement of the latter from said first to said second plane, said separating means comprising divider plates arranged to be retracted below said conveyor and projected above said conveyor at different times, spaced ones of said slats being provided with slots through which said divider plates are adapted to slide as said movable track is moved between said first and second planes.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which said movable track is carried on a parallelogram linkage provided with a cam follower adapted to engage a rotatable cam which causes said linkage to move said movable track;

9. Apparatus for separating a leading end portion of a stream of articles from said stream comprising an endless conveyor to feed said stream of articles along a defined path, said conveyor including a plurality of slats for supporting said stream of articles, first and second spaced tracks, a movable track, means for effecting reciprocal movement of said movable track be tween said first and second tracks, and separating means including divider plates for said stream of articles, at least some spaced slats being provided with slots, said divider plates extending through respective slots in which they are adapted to slide, and means engaging said divider plates with said tracks for effecting movement of said divider plates in a direction transverse to said defined path, said tracks being so positioned that a divider plate is clear of said stream while it is moving along said first track and is projected through said stream while it is moving along said movable track during movement of the latter from said first to .-said second track.

10. Apparatus for separating a leading end portion of a stream of articles from said stream, comprising means to feed said streamof articles along a defined path, separatingmeans associated with said feed means for separating a portion of said stream of articles from said stream by extending therethrough, means for moving said separating means in a given direction along a firsttrack for said separating means on which track said separating means is clear of said stream of articles, along a second track in the same given direction on which track said separating means is in position to separate said end portion by extending through said stream and along a movable track for said separating means arranged between said first and second tracks, and displacing means for moving said movable track between a first position in which it is in register only with said first track and not in register with said second track and a second position in which it is in register only with said second track and not in register with said first track.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said defined path is straight and said first and second tracks are substantially parallel to said path.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said movable track is substantially straight.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said displacing means maintains said movable track substantially parallel to said defined path as said track is moved between said first and second tracks.

14. Apparatus according-to claim 13 wherein said displacing means includes a parallelogram linkage.

15. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said displacing means comprises means for moving said movable track with reciprocal motion.

16. Apparatus for separating a leading end portion of a stream of articles from said stream, comprising means to feed said stream of articles along a defined path, separating means associated with said feed means, guiding means for guiding said separating means along an endless path comprising a lower track, an upper track, at least one movable track and means for effecting reciprocal movement of said movable track between a position in register with the lower track' and a position in register with the upper track, said tracks being so positioned with respect to said defined path that said separating means is clear of said stream while it is moving along said lower track and is projected upwards through said stream while it is moving along said movable track during movement of the latter from said lower to said upper track, and remains in position to separate said end portion during movement along said upper track.

17. Apparatus according toclaim 16 wherein said upper track has ends lying in a first plane and said lower track has ends lying in a second lower plane, and first and second reciprocating movable tracks are disposed in parallel to said first and second planes and mounted for movement between each pair of ends of I said upper and lower tracks to complete said endless path. Y

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said feed means comprises a conveyor and drive means for driving said conveyor along saiddefined path, said means for effecting reciprocal movement of said movable tracks comprising a respective parallelogram linkage connected to said first and second movable tracks to permit reciprocating movement thereof and actuating means driven by said drive means for reciprocating said first and second movable tracks between the ends of said upper and lower tracks in timed relationship with the position of said separating means along said endless path. i

19. Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said actuating means comprises first and second cams rotated by said drive means and respective followers mounted on each parallelogram linkage and contacting a respecmeans effecting engagement between said divider plates and said tracks for effecting movement of said divider plates in a direction transverse to said defined path as said divider plates are guided along said lower track, said first movable track, said upper track and said second movable track to said lower track. 

1. Apparatus for separating a leading end portion of a stream of articles from said stream comprising means to feed said stream of articles along a defined path, separating means associated with said feed means, a first fixed track in a first plane, a second fixed track in a second plane, a movable track, means for effecting reciprocal movement of said movable track from said first plane to said second plane, and means for moving said separating means along said tracks, said tracks being positioned with said second fixed track closer to said defined path than said first fixed track so that said separating means is clear of said stream while it is moving along said first fixed track and is projected through said stream while it is moving along said movable track during movement of the latter from said first to said second plane, said separating means when moving between said first and second tracks having a first component of movement due to its motion along said movable track and a second component of movement due to movement of said movable track between said first and second planes.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the means for feeding the stream is arranged to feed the articles in a direction transverse to their length.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which the means for feeding the stream compriseS an endless conveyor.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which said endless conveyor consists of a pair of chains which support a plurality of slats which together, along part of said endless conveyor, form a flat surface on which said stream of articles is supported.
 5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which said separating means comprises divider plates associated with said endless conveyor.
 6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which said divider plates are arranged to be retracted below said conveyor and projected above said conveyor at different times.
 7. Apparatus for separating a leading end portion of a stream of articles from said stream comprising an endless conveyor to feed said stream of articles along a defined path in a direction transverse to their length, said endless conveyor consisting of a pair of chains which support a plurality of slats which together, along part of said endless conveyor, form a flat surface on which said stream of articles is supported, separating means associated with said endless conveyor, a first fixed track in a first plane, a second fixed track in a second plane, and a movable track capable of movement from said first plane to said second plane, said separating means being movable along said tracks and said tracks being so positioned that said separating means is clear of said stream while it is moving along said first fixed track and is projected through said stream while it is moving along said movable track during movement of the latter from said first to said second plane, said separating means comprising divider plates arranged to be retracted below said conveyor and projected above said conveyor at different times, spaced ones of said slats being provided with slots through which said divider plates are adapted to slide as said movable track is moved between said first and second planes.
 8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which said movable track is carried on a parallelogram linkage provided with a cam follower adapted to engage a rotatable cam which causes said linkage to move said movable track.
 9. Apparatus for separating a leading end portion of a stream of articles from said stream comprising an endless conveyor to feed said stream of articles along a defined path, said conveyor including a plurality of slats for supporting said stream of articles, first and second spaced tracks, a movable track, means for effecting reciprocal movement of said movable track between said first and second tracks, and separating means including divider plates for said stream of articles, at least some spaced slats being provided with slots, said divider plates extending through respective slots in which they are adapted to slide, and means engaging said divider plates with said tracks for effecting movement of said divider plates in a direction transverse to said defined path, said tracks being so positioned that a divider plate is clear of said stream while it is moving along said first track and is projected through said stream while it is moving along said movable track during movement of the latter from said first to said second track.
 10. Apparatus for separating a leading end portion of a stream of articles from said stream, comprising means to feed said stream of articles along a defined path, separating means associated with said feed means for separating a portion of said stream of articles from said stream by extending therethrough, means for moving said separating means in a given direction along a first track for said separating means on which track said separating means is clear of said stream of articles, along a second track in the same given direction on which track said separating means is in position to separate said end portion by extending through said stream and along a movable track for said separating means arranged between said first and second tracks, and displacing means for moving said movable track between a first position in which it is in register only with said first track aNd not in register with said second track and a second position in which it is in register only with said second track and not in register with said first track.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said defined path is straight and said first and second tracks are substantially parallel to said path.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 11 wherein said movable track is substantially straight.
 13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said displacing means maintains said movable track substantially parallel to said defined path as said track is moved between said first and second tracks.
 14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said displacing means includes a parallelogram linkage.
 15. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said displacing means comprises means for moving said movable track with reciprocal motion.
 16. Apparatus for separating a leading end portion of a stream of articles from said stream, comprising means to feed said stream of articles along a defined path, separating means associated with said feed means, guiding means for guiding said separating means along an endless path comprising a lower track, an upper track, at least one movable track and means for effecting reciprocal movement of said movable track between a position in register with the lower track and a position in register with the upper track, said tracks being so positioned with respect to said defined path that said separating means is clear of said stream while it is moving along said lower track and is projected upwards through said stream while it is moving along said movable track during movement of the latter from said lower to said upper track, and remains in position to separate said end portion during movement along said upper track.
 17. Apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said upper track has ends lying in a first plane and said lower track has ends lying in a second lower plane, and first and second reciprocating movable tracks are disposed in parallel to said first and second planes and mounted for movement between each pair of ends of said upper and lower tracks to complete said endless path.
 18. Apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said feed means comprises a conveyor and drive means for driving said conveyor along said defined path, said means for effecting reciprocal movement of said movable tracks comprising a respective parallelogram linkage connected to said first and second movable tracks to permit reciprocating movement thereof and actuating means driven by said drive means for reciprocating said first and second movable tracks between the ends of said upper and lower tracks in timed relationship with the position of said separating means along said endless path.
 19. Apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said actuating means comprises first and second cams rotated by said drive means and respective followers mounted on each parallelogram linkage and contacting a respective one of said first and second cams.
 20. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said separating means includes a plurality of divider plates and said conveyor includes a plurality of slats for supporting said stream of articles, at least some spaced slats being provided with slots in which said divider plates are carried in sliding engagement, said guiding means effecting engagement between said divider plates and said tracks for effecting movement of said divider plates in a direction transverse to said defined path as said divider plates are guided along said lower track, said first movable track, said upper track and said second movable track to said lower track. 